The present invention is in the field of methods and computer program products for generating layouts for graphs of data flow applications.
In graph design, a network is comprised of a set of nodes (entities) and edges (lines connecting the nodes representing a relationship between the entities). Algorithms that organize nodes and edges into a graph typically focus on minimizing the number of crossed edges and minimizing the difference in edge lengths. In simple graphs, nodes are either connected to each other or not; in more complex graphs, the strength of the connection is also represented. For example, nodes with stronger connections are typically represented by wider edges.
A typical graph layout can be quite complex, depending upon the nature of the subject of design. This complexity can make it difficult to efficiently analyze the relationships among the nodes rendered therein, including, e.g., identification and representation of clusters.